U.S. Ebola fears fuel new demand for protective gear
15/10/2014 24:41
By Yasmeen Abutaleb
NEW YORK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Since the first U.S. Ebola
diagnosis in Dallas last month, demand for hazardous materials
suits and face masks has surged, creating a boon for companies
that manufacture and sell the protective equipment amid
heightened fears the deadly outbreak will spread.
The companies range from well-established medical supply
manufacturers to little-known businesses that produce hazmat
suits used in West Africa and now U.S. hospitals.
According to company executives interviewed by Reuters, much
of the demand has come from governmental and international
agencies since the outbreak began in March.
After Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed
with Ebola in Dallas, and later died, U.S. hospitals rapidly
increased orders for protective equipment. A nurse's aide in
Spain also became infected after caring for a patient there.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that three million
protective suits will be needed to control the Ebola outbreak
worldwide, to ensure healthcare workers and others do not come
into contact with infectious bodily fluids such as blood or
sweat.
The virus so far has killed more than 4,400 people, nearly
all in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and
Guinea. Without additional intervention or changes in community
behavior, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimates there could be up to 1.4 million Ebola cases in West
Africa by January 2015.
DuPont DD.N , a producer of protective suits being used in
both West Africa and the United States, said it has more than
tripled its production since the start of the outbreak in March.
Kimberly-Clark KMB.N , which makes protective disposable
medical equipment for healthcare workers, said it has seen a 20
to 30 percent rise in demand compared with the same time period
last year. And Medline, a manufacturer and distributor of
medical supplies, has reported a more than 40 percent increase
in sales of face masks, eyewear and shields and a more than 25
percent rise in protective apparel sales in the past 30 days.
"Once the first case (in the United States) was diagnosed,
we saw an increase in calls" with more than 150 new inquiries a
day, said Stephanie Pasko Nelson, vice president of marketing
for Medline's preventive care division.
Duncan died last week at a Dallas hospital. A nurse caring
for him became infected with the virus, and local health
officials are investigating how she was exposed while wearing
recommended protective gear. ID:nL2N0S914M
Ebola has "definitely increased awareness, attention and
inquiries coming through" more than previous pandemics, such as
SARS and H1N1 swine flu, Pasko Nelson said.
Expectations of greater demand for their products have
pushed stocks in hazmat suit producer Lakeland Industries
LAKE.O and protective face mask company Alpha Pro Tech APT.A
more than 120 percent higher last week. Both companies declined
to comment.
DuPont, the largest of the companies affected, saw its stock
jump more than 10 percent from mid-September to Sept. 30 as it
multiplied its production due to a more robust international
response to the crisis and the U.S. diagnosis. Kimberly Clark's
shares rose 1 percent from Sept. 30 to Oct. 10.
'WE'RE PREPARED'
When Duncan first arrived at Texas Health Presbyterian
Hospital with Ebola-like symptoms, he told health workers he had
recently traveled from Liberia. But it took the hospital two
days to admit him and diagnose him with Ebola, by which point
his condition had deteriorated considerably.
Health authorities are monitoring more than 100 people who
had direct or indirect contact with Duncan for signs of illness.
Nurse Nina Pham's contraction of the disease has contributed to
the spike in protective gear requests.
"We simply are reacting and following things as they
happen," said Judson Boothe, Kimberly-Clark's senior global
manufacturing director for surgical and infection prevention.
"We have reactions in place when we see demand starting to
build."
Kimberly-Clark and its peers already had plans to increase
production capacity ahead of the flu season, including stocking
up on materials and hiring more employees.
They also have collaborated with health organizations aiding
in the international response to help meet the uptick in demand.
DuPont has been working with the WHO and Médecins Sans
Frontières, the leading organization fighting the worst Ebola
outbreak on record, to provide enough personal protective
equipment.
Though it has seen a steady rise in demand since the start
of the outbreak in March, DuPont said it has seen a "significant
increase" as the disease spread to the United States and Europe.
"We anticipate awareness to continue," Pasko Nelson said.
"We're prepared."
(Reporting By Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by Ken Wills)
((Yasmeen.Abutaleb@thomsonreuters.com;))
Keywords: HEALTH EBOLA/USA COMPANIES